Business Development Director

Description

Reports To: CEO 

Status: Full-time, Exempt 

The Business Development Director at Iacofano’s Catering & Events is a high-impact growth strategist responsible for acquiring new business across catering and in-flight services. This role drives regional expansion through targeted outreach, in-person client acquisition trips, and strategic relationship-building across Charleston, Columbia, Charlotte, and Cleveland. The position blends operations with scheduled market visits and emphasizes measurable sales activity, consistent lead generation, and structured client handoff procedures. This is a metrics-driven role with bonus eligibility tied to performance benchmarks including but not limited to new contracts signed, pipeline growth, CRM engagement, and regional travel execution.

Key Responsibilities 

• Generate new business across assigned markets through cold calling, email outreach, networking, and event prospecting 
• Develop and close catering and in-flight partnerships with corporate, aviation, event space, hotel, and BNI clients 
• Conduct regular fi eld visits to target cities for in-person tastings, walkthroughs, prospect meetings, and branded drop-offs 
• Build and manage a new business pipeline in CRM (Microsoft Dynamics), tracking activity, proposals, and deal progress 
• Identify, qualify, and onboard out-of-network (OON) caterers, FBOs, and concierge partners for infl ight catering expansion 
• Ensure warm handoff of new accounts to the Guest Services (GSR) team with full onboarding and service documentation
• Represent the brand at trade shows, networking events, and local BNI groups, consistently expanding regional visibility 
• Lead proposal generation efforts, tailoring packages to client needs, budgets, and event scope 
• Partner with the marketing team to align campaigns with lead generation needs and content support 
• Report on performance weekly and monthly, delivering updates on pipeline health, revenue trends, and market feedback 
• Meet and exceed defined sales activity benchmarks as part of the compensation and bonus structure 

Travel Expectations

• Monthly 3–4 day trips to regional cities (CHS, COL, CLT), conducting site visits and in-person sales calls 
• Travel to Cleveland, OH for client development 
• Other travel requirements to include fundraising events, trade shows, etc. 
• Execute 8–12 prospect meetings, 3 site visits, and at least one in-person proposal review or tasting per trip

Requirements

• 10 years of outbound business development, catering, hospitality, or event sales experience; MBA a plus 
• Proven success in outbound sales and securing new corporate/event contracts 
• Strong communication, negotiation, and follow-up skills 
• Experience managing a CRM-based sales pipeline with full activity tracking 
• Ability to work independently in a remote-first role with accountability to goals 
• Ability to travel monthly for client acquisition and partnership development 
• Familiarity with catering logistics, private aviation, and BNI structures is a strong plus 

• Strategic Sales & Territory Development 
• Client Acquisition & Relationship Building 
• Travel-Based Prospecting & Field Sales 
• Lead Qualification & Proposal Management 
• CRM Pipeline Management & Reporting 
• New Account Onboarding & Internal Handoff 
• Event Venue & FBO Partnership Development 
• Metrics-Driven Execution & Growth Mindset